Free Winter Lecture Series—January and February

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

We are pleased to offer a selection of lecture topics in January and February. Lectures are free and open to Osher members and non-members alike. Two are scheduled to meet in-person at Edenwald Senior Living in Towson (800 Southerly Road, Towson, MD 21286), and the others will meet via Zoom.

Please register for the lectures you wish to attend by clicking the link below each entry. You will receive Zoom links for any of the online lectures you register to attend.

• January 31: The Great Old Days: A Look at ‘The Godfather’ Saga
• February 14: Ruth Handler: The Woman Behind Barbie
• February 28: The Shame of Satire

The smash success of “Barbie”, the movie, introduced many people to Ruth Handler, the woman who created the iconic doll. Handler created the Barbie doll in response to seeing her own daughter, also named Barbie, dressing up paper dolls and imagining them in real life situations. Handler’s life was fascinating on both personal and professional levels. From her unusual childhood to creating the phenomenon of Barbie, Handler persisted through professional struggles, personal tragedy, and illness. She is now being recognized for her smashing through the glass ceiling before that term even existed. Barbara Blumberg Ressin taught at the Beth Tfiloh Community Day School for 25 years. In retirement, Barbara taught as an adjunct professor at Florida Gulf State University and at the Community College of Baltimore County. She has taught many courses for Osher at Towson University.